1. Technical Field
The present invention is related to a method for storing data by utilizing optical disks. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for storing to a database information on the use of the optical disks and the optical disks themselves, and providing interleaving and sequential modes and a high watermark when storing the data by utilizing a plurality of optical disks in a juke box.
2. Related Art
Jukeboxes are utilized in a document imaging system, document managing system, or backup system. The jukeboxes can use a plurality of optical disks in order to store data of huge capacity. Both sides of the optical disks can be used to store the data. After a plurality of optical disks, comprising a logical volume, are inserted into optical disk drive(ODD), the data are stored, and subsequently the stored data are searched.
When many users request the jukebox to read the data stored on the opposite side of the present optical disk, the system must find the data storage side, and then frequently turn over and insert the optical disk.
When a specific optical disk is filled with data up to its available capacity, so that the optical disk has no more available capacity, storing additional data to the corresponding optical disk is impossible, and efficient management of the optical disk is impossible.
As a result of the latter problems, multiple disk systems have been developed. In such a system, when a first side of a two-sided disk is filled, further data is stored on the second side. Moreover, when both sides of a given disk are filled to capacity, a subsequent disk is selected for data storage on both sides thereof.
Inefficient disk management occurs when several users request data stored on different sides of different optical disks since turning over and insertion of different optical disks are required.
A prior art patent is U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,533 of Clark et al., which discloses a METHOD OF MANAGING DATA IN A DATA STORAGE HIERARCHY AND A DATA STORAGE HIERARCHY THEREFOR WITH REMOVAL OF THE LEAST RECENTLY MOUNTED MEDIUM to Clark et al. The method of this patent is different from the present invention, and is burdened by the disadvantages discussed herein.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for storing data up to a dynamically allocated size of an optical disk by providing a high watermark which controls storage capacity in a software method, and for storing additional related information to the identical optical disk.
In one aspect of the invention, a method for storing data by utilizing a plurality of optical disks designated as a logical storage volume comprises the steps of: inputting a storing mode of the optical disk; finding the optical disk for which the storing mode is inputted; appointing the storing mode to the optical disk if the optical disk is found; storing the appointed storing mode information to the storage volume information database; searching the storing mode information from the storage volume information database when a request to store data to the corresponding optical disk is made; checking the remaining empty capacity of the corresponding optical disk according to the searched storing mode; and storing data when the checked optical disk has remaining capacity (i.e., vacant capacity).
An optional storing mode of the optical disk comprises the steps of: (a) storing data to the side A (or front side) of the optical disk; (b) storing data to the side B (or rear side) of the corresponding optical disk when the side A is filled with data; and (c) performing a sequential mode by searching the next optical disk in order to store data according to the steps (a) and (b), when the side B of the optical disk is filled.
Another optional storing mode of the optical disk comprises the steps of: (1) receiving a user request to store data on an optical disk in the storage volume; (2) finding the optical disk on which to store the requested data on side A thereof; (3) storing data to side A of the found optical disk; (4) finding the next optical disk on which to store the requested data on side A thereof when side A of the present optical disk is full; (5) finding an optical disk having capability of storing data to side B thereof when the plurality of the side A""s of the installed optical disks are full; (6) storing data to side B of the found optical disk; (7) finding the next optical disk on which to store the requested data to side B thereof when side B of the current optical disk is full; (8) requesting the user to install additional optical disks when no more vacant optical disks are found; and (9) performing an interleaving mode repeating the steps (1) to (8) when optical disks are found.
In the step of checking for remaining empty capacity, a threshold value indicating storage restriction is defined as a high watermark, and the high watermark is applied to each optical disk. The values of the high watermark are inputted by the user for each optical disk, and are stored to the storage media information database.
A method of storing the values of the high watermark comprises the steps of: inputting by the user of the value of the high watermark for an optical disk; searching an appointed optical disk; setting the value of the high watermark for the optical disk to the inputted value of the high watermark when a searched optical disk exists; and storing the set high watermark information to the storage media information database.
A method for storing data by utilizing the high watermark comprises the steps of: requesting to store data to an optical disk; comparing the capacity predefined by the high watermark to the sum of the used capacity of the corresponding optical disk and the requested capacity; storing data to the corresponding optical disk and computing the used capacity when the sum of the used capacity of the corresponding optical disk and the requested capacity is less than the capacity predefined by the high watermark; determining whether to append the data to an identical document when the sum of the used capacity of the corresponding optical disk and the requested capacity is not less than the capacity predefined by the high watermark; storing data to another available optical disk when not appending data to the identical document as a result of the previous determining step; comparing the sum of the used capacity of the optical disk and the requested capacity to the available capacity of the optical disk when appending data to an identical document as a result of the previous determining step; storing data to another available optical disk when the sum of the used capacity of the optical disk and the requested capacity is not less than the available capacity of the optical disk; and modifying the high watermark with the sum of the used capacity and the requested capacity and storing data to the optical disk when the sum of the used capacity of the optical disk and the requested capacity is not less than the available capacity of the optical disk.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method for storing data by utilizing a plurality of the optical disks designated as a logical storage volume comprises the steps of: (1) receiving a user request to store data to an optical disk in the storage volume; (2) finding an optical disk on which to store the requested data on side A thereof; (3) storing data to side A of the found optical disk; (4) finding a next optical disk on which to store the requested data on side A of thereof when side A of the current optical disk is full; (5) finding an optical disk having the capability of storing data on side B thereof when the plurality of the side A""s of the installed optical disks are full; (6) storing data on side B of the found optical disk; (7) finding a next optical disk on which to store the requested data on side B thereof when side B of the current optical disk is full; (8) requesting the user to install additional optical disks when no more optical disks are found; and (9) repeating the steps (1) to (8) when optical disks are found.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method for storing data by utilizing the optical disks applies a high watermark to each optical disk in order to determine the volume available to store data, the high watermark being defined as a threshold value which designates a data storage restriction, and a plurality of the optical disks being designated as a logical volume.
A method to store the high watermark comprises the steps of: inputting by a user of a value of the high watermark for an optical disk; searching a designated optical disk; setting a value of the high watermark for the optical disk as the inputted value of the high watermark when a searched optical disk exists; and storing the set high watermark information to a storage media information database.
A method for storing data by utilizing the high watermark comprises the steps of: requesting to store data to the optical disk; comparing a capacity predefined by the high watermark to the sum of the used capacity of the corresponding optical disk and the requested capacity; storing data to the corresponding optical disk and computing the used capacity when the sum of the used capacity of the corresponding optical disk and the requested capacity is less than the capacity predefined by the high watermark; determining whether to append data to an identical document when the sum of the used capacity of the corresponding optical disk and the requested capacity is not less than the capacity predefined by the high watermark; storing the data to another available optical disk when not appending data to an identical document as a result of the previous determining step; comparing the sum of the used capacity of the optical disk and the requested capacity to the available capacity of the optical disk when appending data to an identical document as a result of the previous determining step; storing data to another available optical disk when the sum of the used capacity of the optical disk and the requested capacity is not less than the available capacity of the optical disk; and modifying the high watermark with the sum of the used capacity and the requested capacity, and storing data to the optical disk when the sum of the used capacity of the optical disk and the requested capacity is not less than the available capacity of the optical disk.
The high watermark for each optical disk is stored by the user to a storage media information database.